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shall feel as if a great weight has been lifted
from my shoulders. We shall really enjoy ourselves then."
She smiled down into her husband's dubious face, and after a moment
with a curt sigh he pulled her down and kissed her. "Well, you're a
woman, you ought to know how to manage your own kind," he said.
"Sylvia's mother was an invalid for so long that I expect the child did
grow a bit out of hand. I'll leave her to you then, Caroline. If you can
manage to marry her to Preston I believe you'll do her the biggest
service possible."
"Of course I should like to do that!" said Mrs. Ingleton, kissing him
loudly. "Ah! Here she comes! She mustn't catch us love-making at this
hour. Good morning, my dear child! What roses to be sure! No need to
ask where you have been."
Sylvia came in, riding-whip in hand. Her face was flushed and her eyes
shining.
"Had a ripping run, Dad. You ought to have been there," she said.
"Good morning!" She paused and kissed him, then turned to her
step-mother. "Good morning, Madam! I hope the keys have been duly
handed over. I told Mrs. Hadlow to see to it."
Mrs. Ingleton kissed her effusively. "You poor child! I am afraid it is a
very sore point with you to part with your authority to me. The only
thing for you to do is to be quick and get a home of your own."

Sylvia laughed. "Breakfast is my most pressing need at the present
moment. Winnie carried me beautifully, Dad. George says she is a
positive marvel for her years; dear little soul."
"George--George!" repeated Mrs. Ingleton with playful surprise. "I
presume that is the estimable young man who called upon me last night.
Well, well, if you are so intimate, I suppose I shall have to be too. He
was in a great hurry to pay his respects, was he not?"
Sylvia was staring at her from the other side of the table. "I meant
George the groom," she said coldly after a moment. "Is there any news,
Dad?"
She turned deliberately to him, but before he could speak in answer
Mrs. Ingleton intervened.
"Now, Sylvia, my love, I have something really rather serious to say to
you. Of course, I fully realize that you are very young and
inexperienced and not likely to think of these things for yourself. But I
must tell you that it is very bad for the servants to have meals going in
the dining-room at all hours. Therefore, my child, I must ask you to
make a point of being punctual--always. Breakfast is at eight-thirty.
Please bear that in mind for the future!"
Again Sylvia's wide eyes were upon her. They looked her straight in
the face. "Dad and I are never back by eight-thirty when we go cubbing,
are we, Dad?" she said.
The squire cleared his throat, and did not respond.
Mrs. Ingleton smiled. "But we are changing all that," she said. "At my
particular request your dear father has promised me to give up
hunting."
"What?" said Sylvia, and turned upon her father with a red flash in her
eyes. "Dad, is that true?"
He looked at her unwillingly. "Oh, don't make a scene!" he said

irritably. "Your mother is nervous, so I have given it up for the present,
that's all."
"Please don't call Mrs. Ingleton my mother!" said Sylvia, suddenly
deadly calm. "Am I always to hunt alone, then, for the future?"
"You have got--George," smiled Mrs. Ingleton.
Sylvia's eyes fell abruptly from her father's face, but they did not return
to her step-mother. She turned away to the sideboard, and helped
herself from a dish that stood there. In absolute silence she sat down at
the table and began to eat.
Her father sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment or two, then got
up with a non-committal, "Well!" gathered up his letters, and tramped
from the room.
Mrs. Ingleton took up the paper and perused it, humming. Sylvia ate
her breakfast in dead silence.
She rose finally to pour herself out some coffee, and at the movement
her step-mother looked up. There was a glitter in her hard grey eyes
that somewhat belied the smile she sought to assume. "Now, my dear,"
she said, in the tone of one lecturing a refractory child, "you were a
very wilful and impertinent girl last night. I told you I should punish
you, and I have kept my word. I do not advise you to aggravate the
offence by sulking."
"Will you tell me what you mean?" said Sylvia, standing stiff and
straight before her.
Mrs. Ingleton slightly shrugged her shoulders. "You are behaving like a
child of six, and really, if you go